Pizza Today _ January 23 - 32

Some restaurants converted their
concepts to pizzerias during the
pandemic. In Chicago, Bite Cafe
became Pizza Friendly Pizza. " Bite
was a small capacity restaurant, " says
Bruce Finkelman, managing partner
of 16 On Center, a hospitality collective.
" During the pandemic, we
thought it was going to be a long
time until people would feel comfortable
dining in small quarters. "
One new feature is an alley-facing
pickup window, which Finkelman
says is here to stay.
Even before the pandemic,
consumers were looking for
easy ways to pick up dinner.
Restaurant chains have for years
made announcements about new
compact, streamlined locations. " It's
all about convenience, " says Dana
Zipser, managing director and principal
for Rubber and Road Creative
in San Francisco. The branding firm
worked with Pizza Factory to design
its new Express locations. " We went
from 5,000 to 6,000 square foot
local pizzerias with games and
family dining to a tried and true
DELCO, with 1,000 square feet and
no seating. "
Alternatively, some are noticing a
trend back to dining in and socializing,
and that is driving different
changes in the floor plan. " We're
starting to see clients shift their
focus to make the space approachable
and comfortable, " says Abigail
Plonkey, founder and chief experience
curator at Maximalist, a restaurant
design firm in Denver. " They
are moving away from fast casual to
more slow and laid back and stay a
while. "
Plonkey adds that banquettes
and community tables are gaining
popularity as operators answer guest
demand for a communal experience.
Even the waiting area is changing
from the typical podium and bench
to a more lively bar where people
can socialize. " We all stayed home
during the pandemic, " she says. " We
need a reason to go out now, and it's
not just to fill our bellies with food. "
When Maximalist clients
consider the floor plan for a
restaurant, Plonkey has them do
journey mapping, which means
putting themselves in the perspective
of customers as they arrive, leave
their car, enter the building and take
all the other steps involved in dining
at the restaurant. The operator and
designer consider every touchpoint
and often find details that need to
be reconsidered. One such detail:
signage. " Say order here, pick-up
here, restrooms here, " Plonkey says.
" If it's complicated, they won't come
back, or they will walk away. The
restaurant should be as welcoming as
walking into someone's home. "
In addition to socializing, people
also want to experience the food
prep. " People want to interact with
the food making process, " says
Alexis Readinger, founder of Preen,
Inc. in Los Angeles. For some restaurants,
that means tables located
very close to an open kitchen, so
diners can watch the crew work.
Fast casual consumers also want
to see how the pizza is made. Preen
recently worked with Hot Tongue
Pizza to open in a former sandwich
franchise location in LA. The counter
has seating close to the glassedin
food prep area, so people can see
the ingredients at the plant-based
concept. " It's just one more way
of experiencing in a small space, "
Readinger says. " Everything has an
experiential element. "
NORA CALEY is a freelance writer who
covers small business, finance and lifestyle
topics.
http://GalbaniPro.com/FreshMozzeralla http://GalbaniPro.com/FreshMozzeralla
Pizza Today _ January 23

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